Permissible levels of PM (particulate matter) 2.5 and PM 10 are 60 and 100 micrograms per cubic metre respectively and consistent exposure to anything beyond that can harm the respiratory system as the particles embed themselves deep inside the lungs. However, Beijing’s education commission later followed up with a separate order for schools to close during the three-day alert.
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A Beijing resident who gave his only his surname, Du, said he was taking advantage of a lack of crowds near the capital’s ancient Forbidden City to stroll and take unique photographs.
The alert is expected to be lifted on Thursday as winds along a passing front should displace all of the smog out of the city. Over the weekend, the city was only on orange alert, which recommends stopping outdoor construction and work that produces heavy pollution.
“If you are engaging in outdoor activities you should wear a mask or take other protective measures”.
The notice, issued after days of heavy smog last week, also puts traffic restrictions on certain types of vehicles in the city of 22.5 million people. Officials said extra trains and buses would be added to handle the additional strain on public transport.
A forecast of even higher pollution, but lasting only two days, would not trigger the alert.
Beijing instituted their system in 2013 and strengthened it earlier this year, the Times said.
High-polluting factories and construction sites will also have to cease operations, Beijing’s Environmental Protection Bureau said on its verified social media account, with fireworks and barbecues also banned.
The images, taken by NASA’s Earth-watching Suomi NPP satellite on November 30, show some of the most severe pollution that cities in eastern China, including Beijing, have seen this year.
As at 21:45 local time, it was at 328 micrograms per cubic metre.
Polluted air throughout China has had severe health effects. A study conducted by atmospheric chemist Jos Lelieveld of Germany’s Max Planck Institute was published in Nature magazine this year revealed that more than 1.4 billion people die premature death because of pollution in China every year.
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China is one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses, due to numerous coal-fired plants that have fueled the country’s rise as a global economic superpower.
